USA - The debate over fluoride

The debate over adding fluoride to public drinking water has raged on and off for the better
 part of a century. (AFP/Getty Images file)

Re: “Denver, stick with fluoride,” Aug. 2 editorial.

You write, “Given the benefits from fluoridated water … the evidence for health risks should be quite compelling before board members elect to change course.”

I argue that, given the large body of evidence from animal (over 100) and human studies (over 40) that fluoride is neurotoxic, cities should have compelling evidence that these studies can be ignored before they elect to continue fluoridation.

The proponents (all dentists) were unable to provide that evidence.

Dentists have controlled this practice for too long. It is time that scientists with expertise in toxicology, neurotoxicity and risk assessment get involved.

Paul Connett, Binghamton, N.Y.

The writer is co-author of “The Case Against Fluoride” (Green Publishing, October 2010).

This letter was published in the Aug. 9 edition.

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If you are scared about your safety or the safety of your family and friends, you are likely to take the most obvious protective action quickly without wasting time studying the nuances of your possible options, which is exactly what fluoride opponents depend on.

The reason most dentists, scientists, medical practitioners, government regulators and water treatment professionals support drinking water fluoridation is because they have an understanding of the complete body of scientific evidence, not the highly edited and biased version based on fear.

Randy Johnson, Littleton

This letter was published in the Aug. 9 edition.

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I am a former dental hygienist and current biostatistician. Safe drinking water is paramount to health. Putting any chemicals into our drinking water is very serious, especially hydrofluosilicic acid, a byproduct of the phosphate fertilizer industry, or sodium fluorosilicate, a neutralized form of that acid. Neither chemical is pure fluoride, nor tested for carcinogenicity, nor cleaned of possible arsenic or mercury. Both substances are toxic, trickled into our water supply, and diluted to an assumed (not tested) “safe” level.

Denver Water adds these two forms of chemicals to our water whether we want them or not. If you want fluoride, choose fluoridated toothpaste or mouthwash.

Susan Stantejsky, Denver